The Idukki Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) judge T.G. Varghese on Thursday sentenced an 80-year-old man to 45 years imprisonment for repeatedly raping a 14-year-old girl who lived near his shop in Idukki.
Special prosecutor Shijo Mon Joseph, who appeared for the child, said that the court awarded various sentences to the man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for a total of 45 years. He can undergo the sentence simultaneously for 20 years in prison. The court also awarded the convict a fine of ₹60,000 and directed that if the convict paid the amount, it should be given to the victim. If the convict fails to pay the compensation, he should continue in jail for another 18 months. The court also directed the district legal cell authorities to provide ₹50,000 for the victim’s rehabilitation.
The incident occurred in 2021. The victim’s father had died, and her mother had abandoned her. She was under the care of an elderly couple, her father’s relatives. The man had run a shop near the victim’s house and repeatedly raped her, no one in the home.
